CLEVELAND -- Josh Tomlin created a hole that was too deep for the Indians to climb out of on Thursday night. White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson was a big reason why, launching a three-run home run that sparked an early outburst and sent the Indians to a 10-4 loss at Progressive Field.
Davidson highlighted a five-run first inning for Chicago with an opposite-field blast off Tomlin, who was charged with seven runs and retired just five outs in his start. The homer was Davidson's second of the young season, continuing a strong start that includes a .333 average out of the gate.

"That's my power. When I let my barrel work," said Davidson, who went deep to right-center. "Sometimes when I strike out, I get my body a little too into it, and I'm really starting to feel that and be able to make in-game adjustments and stuff like that. That's my power that way. This offseason, we did help to pull the ball a bit better, so we'll see how that goes."
Tim Anderson opened the game with a home run, and Omar Narvaez chipped in an RBI single to cap off the scoring in the first for Chicago. Avisail Garcia added a two-run single in the second.

"They were certainly ready to hit from pitch one," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "When [Tomlin] is going good, he locates his fastball or cutter for strike one. Everything leaked back to the middle. It was quick, and it was a lot."
White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez turned in 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Jose Ramirez contributed a sacrifice fly for the Indians in the first, and both Michael Brantley (solo home run) and Lonnie Chisenhall (RBI double), who was activated prior to the game, came through against Gonzalez in the fifth. Yan Gomes snapped an 0-for-12 slump with a homer in the eighth.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Anderson ignites offense: It didn't take long for Anderson to set the tone against Tomlin. In fact, it took one pitch for Anderson to blast his first home run of the year and the second leadoff shot of his career. His home run traveled a projected 372 feet with an exit velocity of 103 mph and a launch angle of 23 degrees, per Statcast™. Tomlin, who gave up 36 homers last season, allowed two in Chicago's five-run first inning.
"Obviously, you don't want to start the game off like that," Tomlin said.
"That was nice to see Timmy start off," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "Got a good pitch, first pitch of the game, hit it out. They kept the line moving for nine hitters so it's a good first inning, a great first inning."
Melky moves up: With one out and runners on first and second, Cody Asche sent a one-out fly ball to center field, where Chisenhall was playing his first game of the season for the Tribe. Chisenhall made the catch and Melky Cabrera tagged at second and ran for third. Chisenhall sent a great throw to third baseman Yandy Diaz, who lost his hold on the ball when he tried to apply the tag. Instead of an inning-ending double play, Chicago's rally stayed alive, and Garcia capitalized with a two-run single that sent Tomlin to the showers.
"Lonnie made a great throw and Yandy couldn't handle it," Francona said. "[If the play is made] that saves us two runs right there, and [Tomlin] can go back out."
QUOTABLE
"It just keeps it going, you know. We were really working on that this spring and it's working pretty good so far. When you get that hit with two outs, it keeps it going and puts the pressure on the bullpen and pitchers, extending their pitch counts. I can't remember, there's a stat that somebody brought up about after a certain amount of pitches in an inning, the OPS skyrockets, like after 14 or 15, it was a pretty interesting stat, so extending those innings is huge for us." -- Davidson, on two-out hitting, which produced nine of the team's 10 runs Thursday
POSITION PLAYER PITCHING
Due to Tomlin's abbreviated start, Francona used utility man Michael Martinez as a pitcher for the ninth inning to save his bullpen. Martinez sat around 78-80 mph on the radar gun and gave up a double to Leury Garcia, but did not allow any runs. It was Martinez's first career appearance as a pitcher, and it marked the first time Cleveland used a position player on the mound since Aug. 27 last season, when catcher Chris Gimenez appeared for the Tribe. Gimenez also pitched for Cleveland on July 3 last year, against Toronto.

"That's why I'm here," Martinez said through team translator Anna Bolton. "I'm here to help out whenever they need me. I play almost every single position, so I try to get in and help whenever I can."
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Tomlin's outing marked only the sixth time in Indians history that a starting pitcher allowed at least two home runs, seven runs and eight hits in fewer than two innings. The previous such start was by Jake Westbrook on April 17, 2007, against the Yankees.
The Indians' offense went 2-for-28 with runners in scoring position in the three-game series against the White Sox.
BRANTLEY'S LONG-AWAITED BLAST
In the fifth inning, Brantley drilled a full-count sinker over the heart of the plate, sending the pitch out to right-center for a solo home run off Gonzalez. Brantley, who missed most of last season due to injury, had gone 581 days since his last homer in a Major League game. His last shot came on Sept. 10, 2015, against the Tigers.
"That was nice to see," Francona said. "You take whatever silver linings there are and move on."
WHAT'S NEXT
White Sox:Dylan Covey is slated to make his Major League and White Sox debut in the series opener against the Twins on Friday night at Target Field. Look for Kevan Smith to be behind the plate for the 7:10 p.m. CT first pitch.
Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer is scheduled to start for the Tribe in a 7:10 p.m. ET tilt against the Tigers on Friday at Progressive Field. Cleveland went 14-4 against Detroit last season en route to the American League Central crown.
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